News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:Twitter and Facebook's action over Joe Biden article reig... by farias0 on Thursday October 15, 2020 @04:56PM (#24793811)
I don't think it's comparable. If social network is the new newspaper, everyone is free to create your own newspaper. That's why I'll always defend net neutrality. But forcing a private institution to adopt a specific editorial stance, THAT'S anti-freedom. In general, we should work to promote alternative platforms, not to force the existing ones to promote what we believe is right.
Re:Twitter and Facebook's action over Joe Biden article reig... by username90 on Thursday October 15, 2020 @06:25PM (#24794915)
> If social network is the new newspaper, everyone is free to create your own newspaper.

The main difference is that people buy a newspaper for the information it publishes while people join a social network because their friends are there. A social network starting to editorialize content is therefore a problem since there is really no alternative ways to keep in touch with friends as effectively, meaning these social networks gets to force their opinions on people.

Re:Twitter and Facebook's action over Joe Biden article reig... by intended on Thursday October 15, 2020 @08:25PM (#24796024)
How would alternate platforms work when platforms result in winner take all dynamics?
Re:Twitter and Facebook's action over Joe Biden article reig... by partiallypro on Thursday October 15, 2020 @05:01PM (#24793887)
I agree, but I am also a fierce critic of what Facebook and Twitter are doing. By doing this they are actually driving many people to even -more- extreme platforms. I am generally not opposed to them banning antivaxxing, and things that are an active threat to safety...but banning the NY Post story was way too far, and Twitter has even doubled down on it by banning the follow up stories. The thing is that their business models rely on them not being held liable for what is posted, yet by curating things which aren't abhorrent or in the interest of public safety they have opened up a massive can of worms of potentially removing their limited liability from user generated content.
Re:Twitter and Facebook's action over Joe Biden article reig... by RonanTheGrey on Thursday October 15, 2020 @10:14PM (#24796722)
> But forcing a private institution to adopt a specific editorial stance, THAT'S anti-freedom

Who is forcing a private organization to adopt any stance? "Leaving alone" is not the same as "actively promoting." Twitter leaving alone a story does not mean Twitter is promoting that story, that is exactly what section 230 is about.

> not to force the existing ones to promote what we believe is right.

I guess they don't need to pay taxes either, or take a stand against violence, or racism, or....? They still exist within the society in which they function and that means both social and legal rules bind them, same as you or me. Despite abundant evidence to the contrary, their status as a corporation doesn't somehow entitle them to a more special or louder voice than any one else's.